The Dark Side of the Moon
by Nachtfuchs
Summary: Freed Justine's life changed the night he entered the Nameless City in his dream to meet up with a familiar stranger. His unremembered past comes flooding back and now Freed is left with the task to find out what's real and what's imagined, before the Dark catches up with him to devour him whole.


**The Dark Side of the Moon**

**_Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Hiro Mashima. I don't own them, I am merely fooling around with them - no pun intended._**

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**Prologue, or what happened before the beginning**

Looking back, Freed Justine would say it began, as many things in a magical world begin, with a dream.

Though, this might not be quite true. Maybe it began when his mother died and left him in bony yet caring hands. Or you could say it had already started before his birth, when his mother bestowed him with a misguided gift. And some of it certainly had its origin in the bargain that his father struck with a man named Hades.

Freed's father was an ambitious man, who sought what many seek – power. He had always been living in the overbearing shadow of his own father, who was one of the most powerful mages in Fiore. So he searched for a way to overcome the old man. He would have done everything. Even if it should mean resorting to foul's play or dark magic.

One day he came across Hades, also known as Purehito the former Guild Master of Fairy Tail, who made him an offer he could hardly turn down.

Freed's father had arranged to meet Hades in "The Brick", a shabby tavern on the outskirts of Fiore's capital Crocus. Infamous for Urmond, the ever so grumpy innkeeper, the lukewarm beer and good old-fashioned tavern brawls. No, Freed's father didn't choose the Brick, because it was a place where he liked to spend his evenings. Far from it. It was just the most unlikely place to run into a Rune Knight or a member of Council or any mage for that matter. Neither Urmond nor the regular costumers cared for whatever illegal business you were up to. So long as you didn't interrupt their drunken stupor of self-pity.

There was only one unwritten rule in "The Brick": No woman allowed, which applied to the wives waiting at home, quite often armed with a fire poker or a rolling-pin. Every other kind of woman never wandered into the Brick anyway. Until this evening.

No one stirred from their drinks as Hades entered through the swinging doors. He was a tall, elderly man with white hair and beard. He wore a dark cape with high collar and his right eye was covered with an eye-patch. Despite his age he seemed muscular and well-kept. Only small wrinkles on his face showed his advanced age.

'_What a quaint little establishment, yes-no?_, 'said a voice from behind Hades and it was then that the costumers, as one man, stared at the door.

They did so for three reasons. One was that it was undoubtedly the voice of a woman. Secondly, it didn't sound like a livid wife. It clearly didn't. If any of the gathered men had a wife with a voice like this, then they wouldn't spend their nights in the Brick, because thirdly it was beautiful. It was deep, rich and full of promises and ambiguities. It made old men want to be whippersnapper again. A voice that could turn 'Good evening' into an invitation to bed.

The woman sauntered slowly through the doors. Long, swamp green hair, with wooden beads and leather ribbons woven into it, flowed around her. Her smoky, heavy-lidded eyes surveyed the room and her full lips curved into a smile.

'_Good evening, gentlemen_,' she said.

All the men could do was gape open-mouthed at her. Freed's father was no exception. Right now he felt in desperate need for a cold shower and a lie-down. It got only worse as the woman made her way past the tables over to the far corner where he stood or rather had jumped to his feet. Her thin, netlike robe clung to her tanned olive skin and did little to cover her well curved body. The brass bracelets on her wrists and ankles jangled with every step she took. Hades followed her like a shadow.

This woman was way out of his league. Freed's father wasn't unsightly himself, but he wasn't handsome either. At best he could be described as striking. He stood out, not only because he was a tall, dark-haired man with tanned skin and an aquiline nose. There was also the undeniable aura of a leader to him. It was in his demeanor. In the way he raised his eyebrow or called someone dearie, whenever he spoke to people who he fought inferior to him (ie. everybody). Also he had charisma bordering on madness, which was normally enough to entrance his dialog partner.

Freed's father had known from the start that it was out of question to call Hades dearie. They were equals in his opinion. And one thing was sure; a woman like her wouldn't tolerate any minimization of her person, because she was beautiful like a sleek feline predator. You had to admire her with due respect, otherwise she would tear your throat out.

'_You are our illusionist, yes-no? My name is Nawal. I am very pleased to finally make your acquaintance_,' said the woman as she stood in front of him.

She held out her hand and Freed's father knew at once that he wasn't meant to shake it. Like in trance he bent down and brushed the back of her hand with his lips. She smelled of cinnamon, cardamom and other oriental spices he could not name. Never had he smelt anything as intoxicating as her. Nawal took the seat directly next to Freed's father, who wasn't sure whether this was to his advantage or not, while Hades sat facing them on the other side of the table.

Urmond not only came from behind the counter to take their order, which he never did for no one, he also went out of his way to find a bottle of wine for them, after Nawal had asked him kindly. The batting of eye-lashes and pursing of lips had helped of course. A minute later he returned with three polished glasses and a bottle of the famous Comet Wine from Mrs. Urmond's private cellar. Needless to say that Urmond received a good telling-off and some slaps with the rolling pin for giving it away and, on top, free of charge.

After the barman had left, Hades talked about his travels around the world in search for ancient and rare magic. The name of the Black Wizard Zeref was mentioned more than once. Apparently Hades planed to create the Ultimate World of Magic, a world where only mages would be able to survive, to obtain the Magic of One. Freed's father thought it impossible to achieve, because it was only a fairy tale to him. He wondered why Hades was telling him all this anyway. And what was Nawal doing here? If she was here to distract him, then she was doing a very good job. But he didn't voice his irritation. Instead, as Hades asked him whether he would be willing to aid them in their cause, he said with as much conviction as he could master:

'_I would give my firstborn, if it would be of help to you.'_

He didn't mean it. It was only a saying. But the right price, he knew, would make him reconsider it.

Hades and Nawal shared a quick glance that made Freed's father feel very uneasy. They looked like they were enjoying an inside joke on his expense.

'_Good to hear, though I have no interest in your firstborn, the payment I had in mind for giving you delicate information about Fairy Tail is similar. Well, how should I say _,' mused Hades and stroked his beard thoughtful. After some meaningful seconds he concluded: '_Ah, yes! I require a vessel. You and Nawal are going to forge it.'_

'_Vessel? Forge?_,' asked Freed's father bewildered.

He tried to ignore the way Nawal rubbed her leg against his beneath the table and the way her bosom heaved with every breath she took. It was unnerving. Not in a bad way, mind you. Any other time he would have been overjoyed to get this kind of attention from a woman like Nawal. But not right now. Her mere presence made it impossible to focus on his conversation with Hades.

'_You know how to forge a vessel, yes-no?_,' purred Nawal in her voice as sweet as honey.

She had reached for his hand and smiled anything but innocently. This was the moment Freed's father understood what he was asked to do. Through the whole conversation he had felt like someone standing in the dark groping around for the light-switch, but there was none. So he had to stumble along, not knowing where he was going, until he saw the light at the end of the tunnel and now realization hit him like a freight train. Now he knew why Hades had brought Nawal along and what his words meant. Still, "Forge a vessel "was certainly a queer way to put it.

Freed's father swallowed hard before he was able to say: '_My dear lady,_ _I mean no offence, you are a lovely woman and all. Er. It's just a little unorthodox form of payment, don't you think?'_

Nawal laughed and what a delightful laugh it was. It made the men on the tables around them choke on their beer.

'_We didn't know you would have any ethical issues. Not after what you did to your own son_,' said Hades. He was the only one in the whole tavern seemingly unaffected by Nawal's overwhelming charm.

'_My son! How did you … No, I don't have any suchlike concerns. But why me?'_

'_You are a powerful mage. So am I_,' replied Nawal, never letting go of his hand. '_Our offspring shall serve Master Hades cause well_. _One night, that's all we need.'_

She gazed at him with her blue eyes. They were deep and wild like the stormy sea. He was hopelessly drowning in them now. How could he have thought about turning her down? His mind went abroad at this moment and decided to let the libido handle things from now on.

'_In exchange you will of course receive the information you yearn for. Do we have a deal?,' _came Hades voice through his clouded mind and Freed's father found himself nodding and shaking Hades hand to seal the bargain.

The next morning he awoke in a room above the bar entangled in faded blue bed-sheets. Nawal was gone, although her sweet scent (cinnamon, cardamom and other things he could not name) still lingered in the air and evoked the happenings of last night anew. He knew he would never be able to forget her as he slowly got up to collect his clothes from the floor. On the bedside table Freed's father found a sealed envelope with the mark of Hades. He turned it back and forth before opening it. A malicious grin spread over his face, as he read the note inside, and he whispered in anticipation:

"_Lumen Histoire…__"_

Yes, this fateful night set many things in motion. Still it's hard to put the finger on the exact point in time to indicate that here, right here, is where everything started. There is perhaps no real start at all, because there is always a before. An endless chain of events, the former triggering the next. Mostly you just get to see a snippet of the whole picture and everything else is part of another story and shall be told another time.

Freed never knew of the bargain, because it's clearly not the kind of story to tell a child saying: '_And that, laddie, is how yer parents met_.' He had also forgotten about the gift. For him it began that night with a dream. He would go as far as to say, that it was the beginning of the end.

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**Sooo, hope you enjoyed it so far and that you care to share your opinion with me. Criticism is welcome, praise even more. ;)**

**Well, see you with the next chapter!**


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